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The Private Side of Friendship

A Standalone Novel
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( 35 ratings, 4 reviews)
Brief Description
Six friends. One city. The time of their lives. It's 1988, and on the verge of a reunion with friends she hasn't seen since graduation, Julie recalls her halcyon student days of 1984 and the strange tumultuous time they lived through. The friends—each from a very... Read More
Format: Hardback
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The Private Side of Friendship

Edinburgh, 1984. Six students are facing the end of an academic year, preparing to go their separate ways in a changing world. Years later, they meet for a reunion, for what may well betheir last evening together. It soon becomes clear to all that sometimes you have to let go of the past. You take away its lessons, but you let the rest go.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Six friends. One city. The time of their lives.

It's 1988, and on the verge of a reunion with friends she hasn't seen since graduation, Julie recalls her halcyon student days of 1984 and the strange tumultuous time they lived through.

The friends—each from a very different background—are living in a gorgeous terraced flat in their Edinburgh idyll. As they navigate relationships and the unspoken rules of flat sharing, the troubled world all around them seems rather distant. But in the nearby hometown of one of the flatmates, the Miners' Strike is bringing about a huge political shift.

Despite their differences, can these six strangers help each other see the world from a different perspective? Is there such a thing as being too close? And what are the limits of love between friends?

The Private Side of Friendship by Alexander McCall Smith invites readers to explore these questions through a nostalgic and insightful lens.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781846977299

Publisher: Birlinn General

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 02 October 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Polygon An Imprint of Birlinn Limited

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 392g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Alexander McCall Smithis the author of the highly successfulNo. 1 Ladies' Detective Agencyseries, which has sold over twenty-five million copies. Since then he has devoted his time to the writing of fiction and has seen his various series of books translated into over forty-six languages and become bestsellers throughout the world. These include the44 Scotland Streetnovels, first published as a serial novel in theScotsman, theIsabel Dalhousienovels, theVon Igelfeldseries and theCorduroy Mansionsnovels.

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